Dewar's of Mizunara oak
Bacardi-owned brand Dewar's has just announced the release of another unusual blended whisky.
Dewar's Double 21yo Mizunara Oak Cask Finish (46% vol.) is a blended whisky, so a blend of malt and grain distillates. According to the age statement, the youngest of them was matured in oak barrels for at least 21 years. In accordance with the principle adopted when the first "double double matured" edition from Dewar's debuted in 2019, this whisky undergoes maturation in oak barrels, then is bought, then matured again, and finally goes into selected barrels for final maturation stages. In the case of the new Dewar's 21yo, barrels made of Japanese mizunara oak were used for this final maturation stage.
The new whisky in the Dewar's portfolio in its aroma and flavor offers notes of sandalwood, coconut and a "purely sweet" touch on the finish with a hint of vanilla cream, which according to the producer is supposed to be a combination of the distilling traditions of Japan and Scotland.
Mizunara oak (Quercus crispula) is a subspecies of Mongolian oak found mainly in Hokkaido. It exhibits unusual, desirable characteristics during the maturation of liquors and gives them unique aromatic and flavor characteristics. For the cooperage industry, it was discovered in Japan during World War II, when Japanese distillers began to run out of barrels imported from abroad.
If it were not for necessity, this type of oak would certainly not soon have found its way to the coopers' workshops. In addition to the taste advantages mentioned above, it has the same disadvantages from the cooper's point of view. First, specimens of mizunar oak suitable for use in cooperage must reach an age of up to 200 years old. As if that weren't enough, the mizunara oak doesn't grow straight, its trunk is crooked, and the numerous knots make it extremely difficult to create a tight vessel out of it. However, it turns out that the effort is worth it, as evidenced by the remarkable popularity of this type of oak among Scottish and non-Scottish distillers.
Dewar's brand traces its roots to the mid-19th century. In 1846, a man named John Dewar opened his wine and spirits store on the main street in Perth. However, he didn't take up the composition of blends until about two decades later, when this type of whiskey began to gain popularity with the development of grain distilling and the improvement of successive versions of column apparatuses. After his death, the company was inherited by his sons John and Thomas, and the company was briefly renamed John Dewar & Sons. In 1893, it achieves the title of supplier to the royal court (Royal Warrant), and five years later the first distillery of John Dewar & Sons, Aberfeldy, is opened. It remains to this day in the hands of the heirs of its founders, although for years now only as subsidiary companies of larger concerns (now Bacardi). Other distilleries in the John Dewar & Sons portfolio include Craigellachie, Macduff, Aultmore and Royal Brackla.
To commemorate the contributions and prominent place of John Dewar and his sons in the history of Scotch whisky, Dewar's World of Whisky opened in 2000 at the Aberfeldy distillery in the central Highlands. This museum of sorts dedicated to the history of the brand is located in the buildings of the first distillery, founded by the Dewar brothers in 1898.
The House of Whisky's current online offerings include a wide selection of Dewar's brand whisky, as well as single malts from Aberfeldy distillery, which is the spiritual headquarters of the brand. We invite you to visit.
[27.02.2024 / Photo: John Dewar & Sons]